Social Activities for T'weens & Teens

Photo: www.michigan.gov

Much of the information on this blog is geared towards younger children, and I often get asked in my workshops what types of activities are good to do with teens with special needs. Today I have some great information for parents & professionals living or working with teens.

Finding and setting up activities for younger children is usually not so difficult. There is a variety of information out there about what types of things to do & play with toddlers and elementary age children. Younger children are so full of wonder and energy and will engage in play for hours. However, finding fun, interactive events and social activities for t'weens & teens is a bit more challenging. As kids get older, and outgrow certain types of social play, they begin to form peer groups based on similar (and more grown-up) interests. A child with special needs may not have a grasp yet on these complex & subtle social behaviors and relationships, and may need support in finding or establishing a peer group or activity that he or she feels comfortable in.

In addition, most adolescents want to be free of Mom, Dad, grandma or the babysitter when they are with friends. I know my own daughter is so talkative & helpful when we are home or alone in the kitchen, making dinner or braiding hair before bed, but as soon as her friends show up, she is rolling her eyes at the sight of me and cannot get away from me fast enough!

I found these two excellent articles below on One Place for Special Needs that both address social activities for t'weens & teens. They recommend planning high interest events for special needs teens, in order to allow ample opportunity for engagement, friendship & fun. Please share them generously by passing them on!


Use these links:

Social Opportunities for Special Needs T'ween & Teens

How to Create a Parent Facilitated Middle School Social Group




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Contact Us: barbara@bodylogique.com



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Teen Health: The Most Requested Technique for Stress Relief

I was watching my newly-teen age daughter do her homework yesterday, and I noticed her posture. She was leaning to one side, her one leg folded under her and her head resting in her free hand. A little while later she told me she had a headache. Instead of giving her an aspirin, I asked her to sit down in front of me, and I placed my hands on her shoulders. Just as I thought: her neck and upper back muscles were completely constricted and hard as a rock.

3 Minute Neck Massage

I placed one of my home made hot packs around her neck and then I spent about 10 minutes kneading out the knots with my hands. She started to relax and told me about her day, which was a particularly stressful one for her.

At the end of the 10 minutes I asked her how she felt and she said she was much better. She didn't have a headache any more. When she went back to her work, her posture was much better.

My daughter had not even realized that she was stressed, and her outward posture and headache were her own body's signs of a stress response. The most useful skill I have learned through yoga practice over the years is how to recognize the signs of stress not only in my own body, but also the outward signs of stress in others. I've spent many years teaching myself, my own kids and my students how to recognize it and head it off before it gets out of control.

Stress related illnesses count for at least $300 billion each year in health care costs & missed work/school. About half of Americans (48%) report lying awake at night due to stress. (Source: American Psychological Association study, 2009). To combat this, Americans fill more than 50 million prescriptions for sleeping pills and spend more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep-inducing supplements.

Stress in children is now on the rise with and estimated 45% of school age children reporting feeling worried & stressed and 61% of teens reporting feeling stressed. All of these children reported physical symptoms such as stomach or headaches and nightmares.

In spite of this statistic, only 17%-28% of  the parents polled acknowledged that their children's behavior or symptoms could be stress related. These numbers show the huge disconnect between our own views of stress and how we view the effects of stress on our kids.

It’s difficult for both adults and children to concentrate on work and be/do their personal best when their mind is racing and body is aching. Physically, the upper back, spine, back of head, shoulders and neck seem to be the areas where the most stress and tension builds up, so those are the areas of the body that need the most relief. When we are more relaxed, we have a more positive outlook, concentrate for longer duration, accomplish more in a shorter time frame and stay well longer.

I believe that self-care - particularly managing stress - is the most vital and self-empowering Life Skill that we can teach our students and children.

Exercise, hydration and monitoring the types and amounts of foods that are eaten are 3 quick ways to minimize and manage stress. Another option is a simple 3 minute massage.

While getting a professional massage can do wonders for reducing stress levels and clearing one's head, it may not be logistically or economically practical on a regular basis. No worries. You can learn to do this yourself, for both you and your child or teen.

Here is the simple process that I showed my daughter. You can learn it for yourself and teach your children how to do it for themselves too.

3 Minute Neck and Shoulder Massage (Video)

Photo: Barbara Gini for Serenity Health & Fitness

In my teen yoga classes, one of the techniques I teach in addition to the self-massage technique for shoulders, hands & feet, is the 'Massage Train', pictured at right. (The picture quality is low because it originally came out very dark, so I had to lighten it a few times to show detail.) This is done at the end of class, in dimmer light, and there is no talking during the activity.

Students who do not want to participate may "opt out" and just do a simple relaxation on their mat, but I have only ever had one student-including the extremely shy & the sensory-avoiding students-opt out.

I encourage each student to focus only on the student in front of them and to massage with intention, to project love, healing, friendship compassion, forgiveness, reciprocation (I usually pick one theme per class rather than all at once.) and all the positive things they wish for themselves, to the person they are massaging.

I sit behind the last student in the line and massage scalp, neck, shoulders, back and arms. I let them do this for about 3-5 minutes. Then, everyone turns themselves around, facing the opposite direction, and we do it for another 5 minutes, with me switching position as well, again, behind the last student in the line.

This is by far the most asked for activity in my teen classes. Teens are stressed. They are frustrated. They crave calm, relaxation, human contact and a safe, welcoming space that allows them to just 'be'. This activity helps re-connect them with their sense of self, cultivate calm, and gives them permission to 're-charge' their internal batteries. It is an activity that can be done at home at bedtime, after school or anytime your child is stressed.

How do you help your teens manage stress? Please tell us in the comments below.

~Barbara


Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

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In Case You Missed It: Teens and Sensory Integration

Photo:
New Step Consultation Services

There seems to be an abundance of information out there about sensory, language and other early interventions for young children, but I am often asked about techniques that will help teens, so today's post is dedicated to teen health, learning &  sensory interventions.

I received this e-mail (see below) earlier this week and thought I would include it as Friday's post along with an excerpt of my answer and some other relevant article and website links.

If you have any other good resources that would be helpful to our readers, be sure to leave the information in the comments section below. Enjoy!

~Barbara

Barbara, 

I found your email address when searching for additional information on the Wilbarger Body Brushing Protocol.  

I am searching for information on use of brushing with a teenager recently diagnosed with Autism and Tactile Defensiveness.  

All the references I have found deal with infants or younger children.  This is an academic student with average cognitive abilities but other issues associated with Autism.  Do you have any experience teaching a teen this approach in conjunction with other strategies?

The student is an 8th grader, tall and mature physically.  Language skills are very good. At school the primary problem are shutting down physically, emotionally with transitions and change.  He is high functioning.  He would really need self brushing and compressions. I just don't have any idea how that could even work in a large middle school ?

Thank You ! 

JW

Dear JW,

Thank you for your e-mail inquiry. While I do not personally have experience with this, I have consulted with some of my colleagues who do and here is what we collectively came up with:

It sounds as if your student would benefit greatly by being involved in the entire process of putting together and implementing his sensory diet, especially if he has the ability to understand his own wiring and the important purpose of the sensory activities and how they will help him function optimally in a classroom setting and beyond.

I have been told that the brushing technique works better if it is done by someone else as opposed to self-brushing, however male teens will be less likely to be comfortable with someone else (especially a female therapist) brushing them, wanting to be more independent and in control. 

So with that in mind, there are ways to help a teen choose and blend sensory activities into their everyday living that incorporate the sensory input that is needed. (Examples: using a loofah sponge to shower in the morning before school; (Preferably not use on face or stomach!) chewing gum can be used to stimulate gum/oral input; thera-putty or a stress ball to squeeze for muscle pressure input, etc. ) You will have to talk with the teen and his family to see what the biggest issues are and design a sensory diet with his full input. Let him know that if something isn't working, you can easily change it.

The challenge is in giving him tools to use that will be non-alienating, discreet and least distracting to other students while he is in class. Hopefully, his teachers will be on board and cooperative. If not, its your job to educate them so that they will be as accepting and help the process rather than hinder it. (For example, once a diet is in place, they need to know that his fidgeting is his way of regulating, etc. )

If he has an IEP these activities should be included. It was also recommended that the teacher, a therapist or the student himself, (if comfortable) do an "inclusion talk" (or design a "brochure-maybe as a class project) explaining his behaviors and sensory needs for the purpose of opening up dialog and developing understanding between peers. Most kids will be very willing to help if they know how-(such as keeping voices low, taking care not to bump or roughhouse with the student, etc.) and the ones who will use it as an opportunity for teasing, will be shut down by the rest of the students who want to help.

As far as transitions-this is always difficult but a daily agenda or schedule is always helpful-visual or verbal-something small that can stay on desk or in pocket-if he wears a watch, maybe you can help him set it so that a reminder goes off 5 minutes before the class will end so he has a few moments to do what he needs to prepare for transition. 

The is no way to really prepare for every unexpected transition-such as a fire drill-maybe you can open a dialog with the principal and there can be some sort of announcement or notice to that student that there will be a fire drill around 1 pm...etc. and then give him tools to calm the anxiety he may experience while "waiting" for the bell to sound. There may be some helpful articles on my blog about calming anxiety. 

For deep pressure input and self-calming tools, there are some resource links below and I just published a book this summer called "Calm & Connected: Yoga Based Tools for Self-Regulation" that gives dozens of techniques that would be helpful and even though its geared for younger children, you might find something of value that can be adapted for a teen. I have included some pressure point techniques in the book that have gotten some good feedback, and a really useful technique I learned from my OT adviser called the "4B's" that can be used discreetly for overall calming, concentration or to prepare for transitions. (Find that download here > > go to the bottom third of page where it says "Fall Specials" and you will find the 4B's S.M.Art Cards™ free download link.) 

To find a description of my Calm & Connected book, go here  and If you'd like to order it, use the "Add to Cart" button and the discount code: 8U45E59T for $5 off.

Karate (hard forms), Tai Chi (soft forms), pilates, weight training, horseback riding and vinyasa yoga may also be good ways to incorporate muscle input during leisure time-this may in turn carry over & help when stressed, anxious, or in a classroom setting. Pilates and yoga can easily be done in the home - in the student's familiar and comfortable environment-with no echoes, incense or chanting- with their own music preference playing, etc. which makes them great additions to a sensory diet. 

You may give a heads up to the gym teacher too to see if some of these activities can be incorporated into his class's phys-ed time.

I hope this was helpful and you will find some resources you can use. 

Barbara

** Do you have any experience, advice or resources for JW? Please share them in the comments below.

Related Links:

The Sensory Team Handbook

Activities for Hypersensitive Teens in the Classroom

Helping your Teen Cope with Anxiety Disorder

Promoting Teen's Social Skills

Sensory Integration for Teens & Older Children

Teens & Sensory Issues: Special Challenges for a Special Time

Life Skills for Teens: Finding a Keeping a Job

15 Life Skills to Learn in Special Education

Focus on Strengths Improves Autistic Teens Social Skills

Body Image and Self Esteem

What Stresses Teens Out?

Inspire USA / ReachOut.com   (Teen Resiliency/Mental Health Foundation)

Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

Sensory Scavenger Hunt: Nature Sounds

My daughter had  a friend stay over this weekend. Being 12 & 13 respectively, they spent most of their time sitting next to each other, TV on, texting friends. I kept kicking them out of the house as it was a nice outside, but it seemed like they kept going back to the electronics.

Usually, I just tell my daughter to give me her phone for a specified amount of time and do her homework, read or do some other activity, but I can't take away the phones of her friends.

So I enlisted their help with dinner and I gave them a challenge as we sat outside, husking corn on my patio.

I challenged them to a 'Sensory Scavenger Hunt' to see who could identify the most sounds.

They were not terribly enthusiastic as I had gotten them up off the couch and outside, away from cell phones & iPods and from watching "Soul Surfer" (an outstanding movie) for the 3rd time.

They blandly asked what the winner got. I told them that the winner got a 'free pass' for cleaning up the dinner dishes. They were slightly more enthusiastic at this point.

So I explained that all they had to do was sit (outside) and listen for 10 minutes and identify every natural sound they could hear. The phones were away at that point and phone sounds did not count. They agreed. They closed their eyes even though I didn't ask them to.

I began by identifying a woodpecker. My daughter said "Oh, is that what that is?"

My daughter's  friend identified a lawn mower in the distance. Even though it was not a 'nature' sound, I allowed it-the point of the activity was to get them to tune in with another sense other than their eyes.

The friend started naming sounds: a dog barking, a loud fan belt, someone emptying trash...my daughter noted that she would be able to play too & could hear better if her friend would stop 'blabbing' and just be quiet. The friend pointed out that my daughter has a 'bigger mouth' & louder voice then her, so she shouldn't be talking either....

So I suggested that they both just listen and they could write the sounds down later. They finally quieted and sat perfectly still. About 15 minutes later when I finished husking the corn, I told them they could open their eyes, and they asked if they could sit a few more minutes.

What?! Did they just ask to sit quietly a little longer?! Why of course they could! I actually did a little happy dance as I went inside to start dinner.

So 10 minutes later they came in the house and asked me for paper so they could write their lists.

Here is a partial list:

• mom husking corn
• the chair creaking
• loud radio (from passing car)
• birds (7 different calls that they imitated for me)
• a dog whining (next door)
• kids laughing
• wind chimes
• leaves blowing
• water running ( neighbor watering garden)
• roosters
• more dogs (hounds barking down the street)
• a church bell
• my breath
• my stomach growling
• peace

I noticed that the list got more introspective as I hoped it would. The girls started out noticing generic external sounds and ended up where I wanted them: listening to their own internal sounds. This skill is not merely about listening. Its also about introspection & understanding ourselves: who we are & what makes us tick.

Although younger children are more enthusiastic to play this game, I know that teens need it more. They are growing and transitioning and need to learn how to get control of their emotions instead of the other way around. This exercise gives them permission to examine themselves, their dreams and desires and the choices that they are making for themselves.

Encourage your teens to do this exercise for 10 minutes a day. They will most likely resist at first, but then will ask for the 'down time' and finally, just take it for themselves.  You can adapt this activity to have them listen to a classical (or popular) instrumental music piece and identify all the instruments they hear. Have them write for 5 minutes a list or a brief description of what the music did & how it made them feel. Or let them listen to a 'nature sound' track and identify what they can hear from that.

In all of my teen yoga classes, this is the activity the girls ask for the most, followed by the "Massage Train" (which I will discuss in another post) If they are asking for it, then it must be something they need. If they are not asking for it, then introduce it to them and they will.

Some of us call this by different names: mindfulness - meditation - stress management. Whatever you call it, and however you teach it, it is an important skill that serves many purposes, personally, socially, academically, profesionally and in all other aspects of Life.

Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com



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Hard Battles

Wildwood Zoo-2008

This is a post I never imagined writing.

How fitting that this morning, the first sound I heard was that of a Mourning Dove. The sun is shining and the sky is clear, and it doesn't seem fair for the heaviness that I am carrying inside of me.

The young man in the photo at the left is the son of a good friend of mine. He took his own life this past weekend at age 19. (He is pictured with his sister on left and my daughter on right.) Right now, there are not enough words, nor enough tears to express the sadness and pain that his family and friends feel.

I have spent many hours and days with my friend & her kids. I helped them find and move into their house in NC. I love them like my own. Lawrence was a bright, energetic inquisitive boy who was growing into an  intelligent, caring young man. There were minor bumps in that road, like we all have had, but it seemed as if he was smoothing over the rough spots.

He practiced yoga & loved the Asian Culture, especially the idea of  Ninjas. He was very artistic, protective of his sister & always looking for ways to help people. He was a lover of science & nature, and spent his last moments alone in the peace & quiet of the woods that he loved so much. The news of his passing has come as a huge shock.

I remember one time, when the family first moved down south, where my friend and I saw this grotesque bug-like creature jumping across the floor.  We backed away, not knowing if it was going to sting or eat us, and Lawrence stepped into action, and instead of killing it, he trapped it and proceeded to study it and learn about it. Then he set it free. To his credit, I now know more about Camel Crickets than the average Pennsylvanian.

There is a saying that goes: "Be kinder than necessary; for everyone is fighting a hard battle". I think we are all fighting our own personal battles. Some of us fight on the outside in obvious ways, and others are fighting on the inside, silently & alone, and don't know that there are allies to stand next to them, and behind them to help them win those battles.

We may never know why Lawrence made this choice, but we do know that many other teens also feel that there is no other option. My only hope is that we can become better allies-better friends to each other & prevent this kind of a tragedy from happening to another bright young soul.

Today, I'm asking that you choose to be kinder than necessary. Especially to yourself. Reach out to others in words and action, to help and be helped. No one has to ever feel or be alone.

Don't just fight those battles, win them.





*If you have a resource link to share for families, Please Post it in the comments below. Include the city and state where located.



S.A.V.E -Suicide Prevention

Kids Health-Teen Suicide

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The Darkness - Suicide Prevention



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Labels, Limits & Lessons

*NOTE: This is quite a long post that I wrote years ago before I had a blog. It was intended for a book I began and then later decided to not prusue. I've edited & updated some, but left it mostly in entirety. I think as teachers, its a relevant situation. I hope you enjoy!


I have been a Children's Yoga Teacher for 11 years. I love what I do because no matter where I go, I learn something new. Most of what I learn is the result of direct interaction with my students. One of my greatest learning experiences was one summer when I was invited to a teen shelter that housed at-risk youth age 12 to 17. I was asked by Kate, a former student, to help her with her Girl Scout service project. My role was to present on two different days, a Dance/World Music class to the girls & a yoga class to the boys. I was touched that she thought of me.

I was experienced at working with women and girls & I had several ideas for that class, but as I contemplated a presentation for the boy’s class I came up blank. I felt strong resistance to this assignment.

After a few days of making excuse, (I was not in their world…they would not relate to or engage in what I was saying/doing…I was not experienced enough with this population, etc.) I convinced myself that I could not do the boy’s class.

I felt a responsibility to Kate, so I suggested (what I thought was) a more suitable activity: karate. I asked my daughter's Sensei if he would be interested in visiting the shelter & he was happy to do it. A weight was lifted from me & I called Kate to tell her. She was very excited & called the karate teacher right away to set it up. I smiled all day, "patting myself on the back" at my ability to bring people together & solve dilemmas.

Later that same day, I received a phone call from Kate. She told me that she felt that the boys needed a more calm way to focus and relax & Yoga would be great in addition to  the karate class. (Suddenly, I was not feeling so smart and skilled.) As I hung up the phone, all my insecurities & fears came up to the surface. Why?

It wasn’t about my qualifications. I am qualified & experienced. When I sat (and sulked) & observed my gut for a bit, I had to be honest. It was more about judgment than anything else. No one likes to be judged, and I had been judged for being different and thinking differently my whole life. I believed that this would turn out the same way and these students would reject what I was teaching and in effect, reject me. I thought I had put this issue to rest, but here it was & I knew I had no choice but to fact it if I was to move beyond it.

I was to do the girl's class on a Tuesday, and the boy’s class on Thursday. (Karate was on Wednesday.) Monday, instead of preparing something for the boy's class that would be special for them, I wallowed in my angst, procrastinated, questioned the Universe, yelled at God (and every other deity I could think of) for "doing this to me". I finally gave up & decided that I would teach the girls knowing I had two more days to work on the other class.

When I arrived at the shelter on Tuesday, what greeted me in the community room was 12 teenage boys patiently waiting on a large room-sized mat. Panic seized me- and I heard those deities laughing. I found out that Kate was not coming & there was a scheduling mix up. They were expecting me to do a boys class. Girls were Thursday. End of story and that was that. I had to figure out (very quickly) how to present this boy's Yoga Class with the15 colorful silk hip scarves, finger cymbals and Belly Dance Music I had brought. I excused myself back to my car “to get something” and nearly cried, partly because I truly wanted to present a useful class but mostly because I felt sorry for myself. The very thing I had resisted had materialized. I had some "spare" music in my car that I hoped would work & at this point it would have to. I composed myself, grabbed the CD and ran back inside.

I introduced myself & I began to talk about yoga. I was spontaneously inspired by a thought (that seemed to come to me as if it was not my own) to talk to them in terms of sports. I did, and I had their attention. They (and I) had playing sports in common. This was my key, and they were allowing me to open a door with it; body language keeping at a distance, but still asking questions & commenting.

We talked about sports, nutrition & exercise. They talked about Sensei Nick's karate & how they loved it. They let me open that door a bit wider when I told them that I knew him (Thank you Sensei!) We talked about what real power and strength was vs. physical force. We discussed stress management, anger control, imagery and being "in your game". They were polite, interested and extremely intelligent.

As I began to relax I saw that it had been me judging them instead of the other way around. In my teacher's mind, I thought I knew what they would understand and what they would respond to and as it turned out, I did not. I judged them instead of listening to them, and imposed limits in my own mind. That in turn placed a limit on myself, stopping me from seeing ways to support them. I felt very humbled at that moment and accepted that it was exactly where I needed to be, for my own learning as for theirs. We talked about judging & labeling ourselves & others and how it confines us. In spite of never having been exposed to yoga before, these young men had an uncanny grasp of the intangible spiritual concepts of yoga, of life & what I was teaching them. I saw a light in each one of them, and they ignited one in me.

We continued the class with Sun Salutations moving to the music I brought from the car. My instinct to bring in this particular CD proved correct. Salio El Sol, (The Sun Came Out) by Don Omar was something they all related to. The energy and the rhythm of the reggaton spoke to them as they moved into each posture. Three of them were embarrassed at first and the others challenged them. When they saw how much focus, strength and balance they needed to do the exercises, they got into it and moved with the music. One young man even put his own ‘flair’ and moved as if the music were moving him.

I told them how yoga can improve concentration, manage anger, improve their performance in sports, in school, in relationships, and in making better Life decisions. Soon, they were all moving and breathing as one as if they had done this their whole life. I could see by their faces, their breath, their movements they got it and they loved it. I saw years melt away and their youthful energy come out. I saw them as boys-someone's brother, someone's child, so lost & scared, and trying to be tough so no one knew the real them. It took an incredible amount of trust for them to let me in & do what I was asking them. I felt overwhelming compassion & understanding-real understanding for each one of them, no matter what they had done to get there.

At the end of the class I showed them Mudra-(hand gestures). The 3 gestures came from Reiki: Cho, Ku, & Rei. They mean: "May my energy be aligned with the Universe; May my energy be aligned with the people around me; May my energy be used for the highest good." I suggested this is an intention to set every morning and when faced with a difficult person or situation. The boys liked this idea prompting me to repeat it several times so they would remember. I told them that their thoughts & actions reach out and touches everyone, then flows back to them & to be aware of what they are projecting at all times. The Cho, Ku, Rei Mudra helps us to remember and activate this and can be done discretely if needed.

One young man smiled and remarked. "Yeah-that's how it’s gonna be now Ms. Barbara, All my energies used for my highest good." Judging by how his intense, radiant smile smoothed away the roughness of his street life, I believed he would do just that.

Someone once told me that you cannot help someone as long as you are judging them. Maybe my being there was for me to understand this, release my judgment, love them as they were & learn from them so I could get out of my own way & actually help them (and others) better. I can only hope that I had as much of an impact on them as they had on me. I send each one of them Love & Gratitude for their trust, and the lessons they taught me that day, about labels and limits, that I will never forget.
Cho, Ku, Rei



©2007, Visionary Publishing
Originally Published May, 2007
Edited and Re-Published January 24, 2012

Keeping Teens Engaged: Active vs Passive Learning

"What I hear, I Forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand. " ~Confucius





One of the reasons I love teaching yoga to kids is because its dynamic. It gives them a balance between movement & down time. It gives them permission to move, engage & to re-connect with themselves-their bodies, their senses, their thoughts & feelings. It is an active learning experience. I've been able to design fun interactive movement games for the purpose of re-enforcing sensory integration & introducing these concepts of health, stress and relaxation, social and emotional learning and more.

 But the truth is, in the world we live in, kids would much rather be in front of a hand held game or some other form of electronic entertainment then listening to me sing or watch me fly like a bird, sway like a tree or walk like a bear. The older the children get, the harder it becomes to keep their attention, and when we hit the teen years, (whether you are talking about a 'neurotypical' teen or one with challenges,) you know how hard it is to get them to pay attention to much of anything non-electronic. I can feel it and I know when I've 'lost' them. I have to be over the top or in their world in some way or they won't even look at me. On average, I use about 75% of my creative (and physical) energy keeping them engaged in what we are doing, and the other 25% actually doing the activities.


I am a firm believer that movement & outdoor play is still the best way to help a child grow, engage and learn & that Yoga in the classroom is an excellent idea and one solution to a growing problem of keeping children active in the learning process.

We hear so much about 'unplugging' the kids and getting them involved in physical activity and nature and I am in full agreement with this as I have seen this to be helpful. But we can clearly see where we are going as far as electronics and technology. While encouraging health, movement & connection to nature, we still have to teach our kids how to be responsible with technology and how use it for learning and communicating in a positive way. We of course have to be realistic with our expectations and strike a balance between the outdoor and indoor worlds.

I also know that in order to educate, we have to meet a person where they are. What if 'outside' is simply not where your children or students are ?

What about a child's indoor environments such as in a classroom where they are expected to sit still for many hours each day, be quiet and passively 'absorb' information? What about the school districts, administrations or individual educators that are opposed to bringing more movement into the classroom, whether it be a budget issue, a time constraints or personal beliefs? How do we keep the attention of these students? Is there a creative way to incorporate electronics & other technology to help keep kids stay actively engaged in their own learning process as we gradually engage them with each other and the outside world?

One teacher thinks so.

  Caitlin Tucker is a High School English teacher from California who has listed some fantastic strategies for keeping her high schoolers engaged by incorporating & using the technology that they love and relate to. As much as I encourage movement and outdoor activities, I love her creative thinking for indoor learning and I think you will too. Read Caitlin's article here: "Fighting Engagement Deficit Disorder"

** What are some of your ideas to keep teens engaged, with or without technology? Please leave a comment below!







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Thinking Outside The Lesson Plan: 6 Ways to Accomodate Alternate Learners

Working in Ms. T's pre-school early intervention classroom 5 years ago was one of the most memorable  learning experiences for me. I have taken so much of what I learned there from both Ms." T", my co-workers and the kids themselves and have applied that to my current work as a children's yoga teacher. In addition, I have been able to offer workshops & trainings to hundreds of parents, therapists, educators & other children's yoga teachers showing them how to do the same.

One of the first and most important techniques I learned was how to create non-threatening  environments that accommodate a variety of alternate learning styles & challenges & offer the best opportunities for all children to be successful. This concept is at the very center of my adaptive yoga programs. I work with many children who have autism, visual or other sensory perception challenges, poor motor planning or dyslexia, poor auditory or cognitive processing delays and other adaptive needs that make it necessary for me to make accommodations. To do this effectively, I have to think a little bit (sometimes alot) outside of the lesson plan.

Here are 6 accommodations that I have found are the most common & most useful, especially for older children, teens & young adults:

1) Talk with the student: (For all students) Ask how he/she learns best. Often these students can explain in their own words what helps them learn and this input can be developed into concrete learning strategies. These strategies are usually easy to incorporate into a classroom setting or a yoga group setting. In this way you have made the student a partner-and an active participant-in his or her learning.

2) Use Visual Aids:  (For children with auditory/cognitive challenges)  PECS, simple pictures or felt boards can be used to demonstrate & communicate a variety of concepts and ideas. In a yoga group, model the postures or movements & breath work slowly for the student so he/she can see how its done. Allow students to partner up and play a modified & more age appropriate version of  the "Mirror Game".  In both classrooms, follow up with a brief explanation speaking slowly, clearly & using as few words as possible.

3) Use Oral Instructions/Testing: (for students with poor visual processing, poor motor planning & fine motor challenges) Tests can be read aloud to the students or provided on audio file, and students can give answers orally. In a yoga setting, this is how I assess the students level of understanding & also practice social & conversational skills-by asking/answering questions and telling stories. Its important to remember to be clear & use as few words as possible.

4) Modify Essay & Note Copying Assignments:  (for students with poor visual processing, poor motor planning & fine motor challenges)  It takes some students much longer to copy information from a book or a board. In some cases the student may not be able to even read their notes. Provide simple lecture notes, or discreetly assign a fellow student or peer to copy the notes using carbon less paper to make a second copy for the student to review.  For tests, use as many match and  fill-in-the-blank formats as possible. ( Multiple-choice questions also tend to pose a problem for some students because of the amount of reading required to answer the questions correctly.) A simple handout with a brief summary, stick figure drawings and simple captions works well for yoga classes.

5) Modify Research Assignments: (For all students) There are many ways to offer alternative assignments to demonstrate skill or content master for traditional as well as yoga classrooms. Alternatives to long written papers could include video or oral presentations, collages, photo journals, shadow boxes, role playing, dioramas, etc. I use lots of simple themed art projects in my yoga classes to go with each lesson to give the student a personal & physical reminder of the basic concepts presented.

6) Use Routine Skill & Concept Reviews:  (For all students) Good for reinforcement of academic as well as yoga concepts. Can be used before a test or as a transition before moving on to the next concept introduction. A review can be done at the end of the week, at the end of a unit, as an oral review or even as a fun class "Jeopardy" or "Wheel of Fortune" type game, incorporating flash cards or other visual aids if necessary. A simple 'study guide' (one page only) with short summaries of key concepts & vocabulary words can be made easily and given to the students to take home & review on their own. Encourage students to stay organized by keeping all notes in a binder or folder for quick reference. (For one of my teen girl's yoga classes I provided folders and let them decorate to have a personalized place to keep all yoga class notes in.)

Whether you are a traditional educator, classroom assistant or children's yoga teacher, its not difficult to make these simple accommodations for those who may need them. A little time and creativity will go a long way to benefit both educators & students.







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Dance-Cheer-Yoga!

Over the past several years, cheer leading has become one of the fastest growing women's sports. It is estimated that in America, about 3 million girls ages 6-17 participate in cheer leading. About 15% of these girls are involved in competitions. There is strength, flexibility, conditioning, endurance, and stamina involved in cheer leading and cheer dancing, as well as focus and teamwork.

There's little doubt that activities such as dance, gymnastics & cheer leading carries an inherent risk. All sports do; even sports like ping pong or golf carry the potential risk of injury. What makes cheer leading particularly noted is the type of injuries cheerleaders suffer, most commonly muscle sprains and strains. Dancers & gymnasts experience these types of injuries as well.


This, coupled with the more serious & widely publicized injuries such as broken bones, vertebrae and paralysis (mostly on college squads) has caused many organizations to tighten regulations around the types of stunts cheer leading squads can perform and the safety precautions dance studios & cheer squads should take.

'Safety First'! is the latest of a number of safety initiatives that Cheer leading's governing bodies have implemented in past years. The results show, among other things, that cheer's total injuries were cut in half from 2005 to 2006, and continued to drop through the 2007-2008 academic year. Cheer leading's injuries per 100,000 participants is only 2.0, significantly less than the figures for other popular women's sports such as gymnastics.

CHEER LEADING SAFETY:
(Courtesy of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association)

Below are some tips compiled by the NATA that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels. While these tips are targeted directly at cheer leading, they also will apply to dancers and gymnasts:

1. Proper Conditioning: Physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling. Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities.

2. Exercise Reminders: Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest. (Yoga, TaiChi & guided Imagery Techniques are great for flexibility and calming nerves.)

3. Proper Equipment: Practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected. Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing. Always wear proper footwear.

4. Spotting: Have trained spotters present and engaged at all times.

5. Knowledgeable Coaches: Make sure your coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use.

6. No Horseplay: Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities.

7. Communication: Request that your coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan.

8. Read Safety Guidelines: Ask your coaches to be familiar with the latest AACCA safety guidelines; the safety advice in the National Federation of State High School Associations’ “Spirit Rules Book”; and the rules and regulations pertaining to your particular school.

9. Know Your Limits: Be aware of your ability level and do not attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills. Always have a supervisor present.

10. Treatment & Prevention of Injuries: Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Your school or organization’s athletic trainer can assist in the proper treatment and prevention of such injuries. He or she can also offer an injury prevention education seminar and assist in creating the conditioning routine.

Yoga provides a perfect low-impact exercise & relaxation science that works with the athlete's whole body rather than individual parts. It provides a foundation for strong technique, as well as balance for strenuous practices & performances.

BodyLogique® has designed a Sport Yoga based conditioning curriculum just for cheerleaders, gymnasts and dancers, that focuses on balance & flexibility for injury prevention, core strength, stamina, teamwork & stress management.

Due to the volume of requests we have received, we are in the process of putting this curriculum into book form with an anticipated release date of August, 2012!

To receive a sneak preview by e-mail, please send your request to:
barbara@bodylogique.com .

In your request, please tell us if you are a coach/instructor or parent, and if you are interested in dance, cheer, yoga or other sport training for young female athletes. (This information is so that we can be sure to include specific information in the final draft of the book.)

Watch a preview video here: Dance Cheer Yoga!

Watch our "What's New"  page for release announcements and other news, or subscribe to us by using the slide-out menu viewable on the right side of our "welcome" page. Click on the bottom box, type in your e-mail address and submit.

* Customized cheer & gymnastics squad, girl's youth athletic league AND youth dance & ballet company Sport Yoga workshops are available year round at your Bucks/Mont County PA location! 

Please contact Barbara for scheduling and other information!

E-Mail: barbara@bodylogique.com

Call: 215-257-3193

Visit:   http://www.bodylogique.com/Teens.html

Information on Local NJ & Pennsylvania Dance/Cheer Squads can be found on: http://www.popwarner.com/admin/pennsylvania.asp



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